PALM5 Delgado El Couturier: Mauritia and Eupalamides Volume 47(2) 2003 Relationship CESAR DELGADO 8etween IIAP Apartado 784 Mauritia Iquitos, Peril cdeLgado@;;ap.org.pe flexuosa and AND GUY COUTURIER Eupalamides IRD •• • 213 flle La Fayette cyparlsslas ln F-75480 Paris Cedex)O Frclllce the Peruvian [email protected]·fr Amazon In this paper the relationshlp between Mauritia flexuosa and an important moth pest is described. Mallritia (lexllosa L.f., commonly known in Peru 1/Il/"l/lI/lfII Mart. and A. javarellse Trail ex Drude. as aguaje, is widely distributed in the north of We report on damage caused by E. cyparissias to South America, principally in the Amazon basin, the economically important palm M. f7exllosa in an area comprlsing Peru, Bolivia Colombia, (dwarf ecotype) and suggest natural factors that Ecuador, Venezuela, Brazil, the Guayanas, and control the population levels of the larvae in this north to Trinidad and Panama (Henderson et al. species. 1995). The present work was carried out between El/pa/amides cypar/SslCls Fab. (Lepidoptera: December 2000 and September 2001 in the Castniidae) (also referred to as Cast/lia daeda/l/s, Peruvian Amazon near the municipalities of El/pa/amides daeda/l/s and Lapael/l1Iides daeda/Ils Iquitos, Pevas and Mazan in the State of Loreto. (Howard et al. 2001» is a moth native to South Field observations were made on the development America. It is widely distributed in the entire stages of the nocturnallepidopteran, E. cyparissias, Amazon basin incIuding Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and its activlty level at different times of the day, Venezuela, Brazll, the Guayanas and north to and on damage to one of its host palms, Mallritia Panama. In South America the species is known (lexl/osa. To determine the infestation rate and to be a major pest to the economfcally important patterns on the host plant we examined a total of palms Cocos l1l/cirera L. and E/aeis Sl/i/lce/lsis Jacq. 21 inflorescences on 16 individuals of the dwarf Here we report evldence of four new host pahns type of M. f1exI/osa at the three localities. Using a native to Amazonia - Mm"Wa caral1a Wallace, bisturi and rnetal screen we identified and Mauritiel/a peruviC1l1C1 (Beee.) Burret; AstrocarYl/'" recorded the number of infestations present in 104 PALMS 47(2): 104-106 PALMS Delgado & Couturier: MauriUa and Eupa/amides Volume 47(2) 2003 the basal, middle and apical regions of observed to occur between 5::iO and 6:30 in the inflorescences. morning and 5:30 ta 7:00 in the evening. The eggs The hast plant are gray, aval, with deep furrows, and measure 5-6 mm in length. The larva is 110-130 mm in Mal/rilia flexl/osa grows naturally in swamp areas length, and in its primary stages feeds on the on poorly drained soils f100ded by rains. lt forms surface of petiole, scratching the epidermis and very dense populations in its natural habitat called then perforating the interior. The pupa measures agI/aja/es and is often planted in agricultural 64-95 mm in length and is contained in a compact production systems. The palm generally fruits at cocoon formed of fibers of the palm itself (Mariau 7-8 years of age, or when the stem reaches 6-7 2000). On the dwarf agl/aje, the pupal stage is meters in height and the internodes measure at found at the base of the petiole. The larvae of E. least 12 cm (pers. obs.). cyparissias damage the pedunde, rachis, rachillae, ln lowland Peruvian Amazon we have observed an petiole and, rarely, the stem of the aguaje palm. ecotype of M. flexllosa that starts fruiting at (ive Larval activity can be recognized externaIly by the years, even before the stem has developed or has presence of excrement near the feeding tunnels reached 1 m in height and the internodes are less and by the gummy secretions emitted by the plant than 6 cm. These dwarf agl/ajes, known by the as a physiological response ta herbivory. The larvae Bora Indians as shapis"ico agl/aje, grow on upland produce sinuous tunnels up to 2.5 min length and soils (tieTTa fin Ile) free from the periodic or seasonal 3.5 cm in diameter with irregular borders. The flooding characteristic of the agI/aja/es. They are tunnels interrupt the flow of water and nutrients always found as solitary individuals and in open in the plant, thus causing premature senescence areas relatively free of shrubs and trees. The dwarf of the flowers or fruits whose fall is aided by light agllaje palm has between 16 and 25 fronds and winds. When the infestation occurs at early stages flowers annually producing from four ta seven of inflorescence development ail flowers or fruits inflorescences. Each inflorescence produces an are lost. At advanced stages of development, average of 442 (s.d. 14.7) ovoid fruits. however, fruit loss is only partial. Bath types of the agl/aje palm are of major socio­ Of the 21 inflorescences observed in the three economic importance ta the Peruvian Amazon regions, 19 (90.5 IM,) hosted the E. cyparissias larva. people. The fruits are marketed and consumed When we compare the infestation rate on directly or as pulp in drinks, popsides and ice inflorescences from the three areas we find the cream. The petiole is used in craft-making, the highest in Pevas at 100%, followed by Iquitos at mat for walls and ceilings in traditional houses, 90% and Mazan at 83%. These results show that and the stem hasts larvae of the RYIlc!lOp/lOrliS the insect pest is widely distributed and weil pa/marli/il (lnsecta: Curculionidae), commonly represented in the areas studied. The small known in the region as sI/ri and consumed by local differences in infestation rate between areas people (Padoch 1986, Mejia 1986). sampled, none statistically different (Chi-squared =1.76; 2 d.f.), may correspond ta the behavior of The pest E. cyparissias is reportedly found on E. cyparissias and may be an artefact of having alternative host palms induding Syagms sampIed the areas during different seasons. romallzoffial/a (Cham.) Glassman, S. sc"izop"ylla (Mart.) Glassman, HYP//Clene tllebaica (L.) Mart., The distribution of damage by E. cyparissias along Livistol/a sp., L. cMI/el/sis Oacq.) R. Brown, the length of the inflorescence is not significantly Nephrosperma sp., Phoellix dactylifera L., P. mpico/a different (Chi-square = 1.97; 2 d.f.), although the T. Anderson, Pritc"ardia pacifica Seemann & H. highest rate was found in the basal region (39.7%), Wendl., Saba/ sp., S. b/ackbllfllialla Glazebrook ex followed by the middle (34.9%) and apical (25.4%) Schultes, S. mexicalla Mart. and Washillgtol/ia regions. There is a marked preference (although filifera (Linden) H. Wendl. (Reyne in Schuiling & not tested) for the initiation of attack at the base Van Dinther 1980), Atta/ea maripa (Aubl.) Mart. of the inflorescence; from there, as the larva and Roystollea regia (Kunth) O.F. Cook (Van develops, it migrates towards the inflorescence Dinther in Schuiling & Van Dinther 1980), apex, even when there is enough food nearby. Mal/rtitia caralla Wallace, Mal/ritiella pefllviana Population regulation of Eupa/alllides . (Bece) Burret, Astrocaryl/III ml/mmlml Martius and cyparissias A. javawlse Trail ex Drude. ln a single inflorescence severa! adults may The pest oviposit at different times. Although an The adult of E. cyparzsslQs is a nocturnal inflorescence rnay hast u p ta eight larvae at lepidopteran with a robust body measuring different development stages, we suggest that only 140-180 mm in wingspan. Its flight activity was one of these will complete its development ta 105 PALMS Delgado & Couturier: Mauritia and fupalamides Volume 47(2) 2003 adulthood. While the average diameter of an Acknowledgments agllaje inflorescence is greater than 10 cm, the This research was conducted wlth financial maximum width of the feeding tunnel was only resources from the Biodiversity Management 3.5 cm. The average length of an inflorescence is Program of the Instituto de Investigaciones de la 3.2 m and a single larva can burrow tunnels of up Amazonia Peruana. We kindly thank Dr. Robin . to 2.5 m in length in one year (average duration Sears for review and translation of the text to of the larval stage). When these measurements are English. considered, there should be a sufficient food LiTERATURE CrrED supply in a single inflorescence for several larvae to develop to adulthood. However, we never found HENDERSON, A., G. GALEANO AND R. BERNAL. 1995. this to be the case; ail inflorescences observed Field Guide of the Palms of the Americas. hosted only one larva. We observed that when Princeton University Press, New Jersey, USA, 352 two or more tunnels meet in the inflorescence the pp. larva at a more advanced stage predates the smaller HOWARD, F.W., D. MOORE, R.M., GIBLIN-DAVIS AND one. This phenomenon suggests that larval R.G. ABAD. 2001. Insects on palms. CAB cannibalism is one factor that regulates population International, Wallingford, 400 pp. levels in the agllaje inflorescence. This finding Is MARIAu, D. 2000. La faune du palmier à huile et in contrast to the physlcal-chemlcal factors found du cocotier. 1. Les lépidoptères et les hémiptères at the adult level in other insect groups where, ainsi que leurs ennemis naturels. Montpellier, using neurophysiologlcal mechanlsms, the female France, ClRAD·cp, 97 pp chooses an adequate location for oviposition and the development of the larva (e.g., Wlldermuth MEl lA, K. 1986. Utilization of Palms in Eleven 1993). Mestizo Villages of the Peruvian Amazon (Ucayali River, Department of Loreto).